The present invention pertains to operable walls movable to partition large rooms into smaller rooms, and, in particular, to a track and trolley system for an operable wall panel.
Operable walls or partitions, also known as movable wall panel systems, find useful application in a variety of venues, such as classrooms, offices, convention facilities and hospitals. In these venues, the operable walls can be moved along tracks from which they are suspended to efficiently compartmentalize interior space into a multitude of separate, smaller rooms.
Known mechanisms by which operable panels are rollingly suspended from tracks come in a variety of designs. One known mechanism, which is a dual rotating or counter rotation carrier, includes a pair of tires that are stacked on a vertically extending axle and which engage staggered-height bars that project from opposite sides of the track. The disadvantages of this type of system are numerous. First of all, the existing tires do not engage the track bars along the outer radial periphery of the tires, but rather are arranged such that the downward facing, axial surfaces of the tires engage the track bars that jut below them. Another problem is that at intersections of the track, such mechanisms tend to get hung up or jam, and the user often has to manually lift up the panels to unjam the carrier within the track.
Another panel suspension system uses trolleys with wheels, rotatable about horizontal axes, which run along a track. One disadvantage of these trolley designs is that when the panels are arranged in a stacked or folded arrangement, forces applied by a person during the unfolding of the panels tends to force the trolleys sideways or laterally within the track as opposed to along the length of the track. These lateral forces can cause wear to the trolleys, and further often do little to move the panel forward or backward. In some embodiments, additional rollers on flanges of the trolley which extend between the edges of tie track are provided to keep the trolley transversely centered within the track. However, and in addition to the fact that these rollers tend to wear out over time, such trolleys still can be difficult to move out of a stacked arrangement.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a track and trolley system which overcomes these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention provides an operable wall with a trolley system that achieves linear motion, thereby resulting in the panels of the operable wall being movable in a smooth and relatively easy fashion between stacked and extended arrangements. The linear motion is achieved by providing trolley wheels, rotatable on a vertical axis, with outer peripheries that correspond to side-facing contours of the track.
In one form thereof, the present invention provides a system for movably suspending an operable wall panel, including a track mountable to a ceiling, a trolley attachable to the operable wall panel, and means on the track and the trolley for rollingly engaging the trolley to the track to provide a linear motion system in which the trolley moves linearly along the track.
In another form thereof, the present invention provides a system for movably suspending an operable wall panel including a track mountable to a ceiling and including first and second surfaces, and a trolley attachable to the operable wall panel and including first and second rotatable wheels each having an outer radial periphery, wherein an axis of rotation of each of the rotatable wheels extends in an axial direction. The outer radial peripheries of the first and second rotatable wheels and the first and second surfaces of the track are in operative engagement and are complementarily structured and arranged to limit movement of the first and second rotatable wheels in the axial direction relative to the first and second surfaces of the track.
One advantage of the present invention is that the application of even substantially lateral forces on panels equipped with the linear motion track and trolley system tends to cause the panels to move longitudinally along the track length.
Another advantage of the present invention is that its design reduces the likelihood of a trolley becoming jammed at track intersections.
Another advantage of the present invention is that vertical motion of the panels is prevented.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the precision wheels/bearings and track achieve a smooth moving panel system.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the track may be formed with a heavy-duty construction to reduce the number of hanger brackets required to thereby facilitate installation.